One week from today, Purdue signee Tyeisha Jackson will report to Colorado Springs to compete for a spot on the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team. Jackson was one of 18 players invited to tryout for what will be a 12-member team that will travel to Puerto Rico in August to play for the Junior World Championship. Players receiving invitations to Colorado Springs:
Matee Ajavon, G, 5'8, 160, Irvington, NJ (Rutgers)
Nicky Anosike, C, 6'3, 190, Staten Island, NY (Tennessee)
Essence Carson, G, 6'0, 155, Paterson, NJ (Rutgers)
Quianna Chaney, G/F, 5'11, 140, Baton Rouge, LA (LSU)
Sybil Dosty, F/C, 6'3, 185, Tucson, AZ (Tennessee)
Laura Harper, F/C, 6'4, 180, Elkins Park, PA (Maryland)
Charde' Houston, F, 6'1, 180, San Diego, CA (Connecticut)
Tyeisha Jackson, G/F, 5'9, 145, Houston, TX (Purdue)
Laura Kurz, F, 6'2, 160, Lower Gwynedd, PA (Duke)
Crystal Langhorne, F, 6'2, 185, Wilingboro, NJ (Maryland)
Erlana Larkins, G/F, 6'2, 190, Riviera Beach, FL (North Carolina)
Candace Parker, F, 6'3, 172, Naperville, IL (Tennessee)
Cissy Pierce, G, 5'10, 135, Littleton, CO (Stanford)
Lindsey Pluimer, G/F, 6'3, 160, San Clemente, CA (UCLA)
Erica White, G, 5'4, 130, Jacksonville, FL (LSU)
Khadijah Whittington, F, 6'0, 180, Portsmouth, VA (North Carolina State)
Candice Wiggins, G, 5'11, 140, La Jolla, CA (Stanford)
Sharnee' Zoll, G, 5'7, 130, Blackwood, NJ (Virginia)
The Junior National Team trials will run from June 20-23. The Junior World Championships will be held from August 4-8 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The top three finishing teams will qualify for the 2005 FIBA Women's Junior World Championship slated to be held July 2005 in Tunisia.
University of Colorado's Ceal Barry, who served as an assistant coach with the 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medalist team, returns to the USA Basketball bench in 2004 as head coach of the 2004 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team. Barry will be assisted on the sidelines by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Lea Henry (Georgia State University) and 1999 NCAA championship head coach Carolyn Peck (University of Florida).